"Things are moving pretty quickly and a lot of work is being done," Nealy said. "I wouldn't be shocked if we saw something next week. I wouldn't be panicked if it didn't happen, but I'm looking for the near term."
It's believed a sale to Jamison's group had been settled, but NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly refused to declare a deal was on the horizon.
"We are continuing to work with Greg Jamison and with the City of Glendale to move the process forward," Daly replied via email. "We remain hopeful that we can get a deal done, and we can move forward from there to close the transaction and transition ownership locally. Having said that, nothing is done yet and no timeline for completion has been established."
Nealy believes the odds are that the Coyotes are remaining in the desert, though Jamison's group would need a sale agreement and an arena lease agreement approved by the league and by the City of Glendale.
Nealy also mentioned that the City of Glendale could discuss the matter as early as next week.
"Next week is a possibility," Nealy said. "As far as the City of Glendale, they certainly are shooting to be able to do something early next week. They have a council meeting scheduled for Tuesday and they'd like to do that. Certainly the NHL wouldn't have anything against that. So if those three pieces can come together and that's all in the mix, it could happen."
Meanwhile, another obstacle could slow down the procedure as the Goldwater Institute, a non-profit watchdog organization that contributed to sinking business Mathew Hulsizer's bid to buy the Coyotes a year ago, could renew its interest in the process.
However, Nealy does not believe it would be as big an issue this time around, already looking forward to next season.
"I'm planning for next year, we're renewing tickets, we're making plans for next year and, so, I fully expect it," he added. "I know it's not a guarantee, but I would say I'd put a high probability on it."
The Coyotes have been without an owner since 2009 and run by the NHL since. If a deal can't be settled soon to sell the club locally, there is growing interest in Quebec City to have the Coyotes relocated there.
